Recent development of superconducting magnets for particle accelerators has been undertaken, such as by the Fermi, Brookhaven, and Berkeley National Laboratories, and the Continuous Beam Acceleration Facility, with industry production expected in the near future. The magnets in a particle accelerator are used to generate a large magnetic field, on the order of about 1 to 12 Tesla (T) so as to cause a beam of charged particles to travel in a generally circular path. The results of the collision of these charged particles are then studied to further the knowledge and understanding of subatomic particles. It is expected that these devices will have a circumference of about 85 km (53 mi). An example of such a facility is the superconducting supercollider (SSC). Such a large facility would have to be constructed at a relatively high cost.
The use of coils manufactured from superconducting material for the magnet can help defray the cost, since this type of magnet can be made with a relatively small bore for a more compact configuration while still being able to generate the required magnetic field. It would be even more advantageous if components of the particle accelerator were made on a large scale manufacturing basis. The manufacture of superconducting magnets, however, present special difficulties. In the winding of the coils, for example, a high degree of dimensional accuracy is specified on each coil, which has a large aspect ratio (length-to-width) along the superconducting coil cross-section.
The superconductor coil is an elongated oblong shape and is comprised of multiple strands of wire, with a cross-sectional configuration approaching that of semicircle. During their construction the magnets are vulnerable to detrimental affects in the various handling, clamping, manipulating and transporting tasks performed during the construction of the coils and other components. Thus, extra precaution is required since even slight anomalies may cause the magnet to lose its superconducting properties. Moreover, the superconducting magnet is to be specially constructed to include passageways for coolant, such as helium or nitrogen, to maintain the magnet at the optimum temperature to enhance superconductivity.
There are many steps to be performed in the construction of a superconducting magnet for particle accelerators. Each of these requires precision operation, as well as careful handling. To date, superconducting magnets could not be made on a large-scale, production basis. Heretofore, the methods and procedures for building experimental magnets were not necessarily applicable to mass production. What is needed is a viable design for major manufacturing equipment, to cover practically all phases of construction of a superconducting magnet, for such a large scale production facility.